Paw Safety Check
Can your dog
walk today?
A clear walk verdict for your dog - pavement heat, weather and your dog’s profile combined into one answer: walk now, how long, and when conditions improve.
Stored only in your browser. Tailors heat, cold and duration limits to your dog.
Personalised for your dog
Most dog-weather tools give a single generic rating. Paw Safety Check answers the question owners actually ask - can my dog walk now, for how long, and when will it be safe again?
- A dog profile, not a generic score. Add your dog’s size, age, coat, whether they’re flat-faced, overweight or have breathing, heart or mobility concerns. These materially change the heat and cold limits - a Pug and a Husky get different answers.
- One clear verdict + a duration. Good, Caution, Short walk or Avoid - plus a recommended maximum walk time, because the same weather can suit a short shaded stroll but not a long run.
- Your route, your surface. Choose your walking surface - dark asphalt, concrete, light paving, artificial grass, sand, natural grass or a mixed route - and whether it’s in sun, shade or a mix. Each surface is modelled for how hot it really gets.
- Whole-walk safety. Beyond paw heat, it factors in heat-load, wind-chill, humidity, UV, air quality (US AQI) and thunderstorm risk.
- Hourly safe windows. See exactly which hours today are safe, and the best window to head out.
- Transparent, not a black box. Every verdict shows its components, framed as a range you confirm with the 7-second hand test.
- Private and free. No account, no tracking your dog - the profile stays in your browser.
What you can tell the checker
- Dog size & weight
- Toy, small, medium, large or giant
- Dog age
- Puppy, adult or senior
- Coat type
- Short, medium, or long / thick double coat
- Breed risk
- Flat-faced (brachycephalic) breeds such as Pugs, Bulldogs and French Bulldogs
- Body condition
- Overweight status
- Health
- Breathing / respiratory, heart / cardiac, or mobility concerns
- Walk duration & activity intensity
- Toilet break, 15, 30 or 60 minutes, or a run / intensive play
- Walking surface
- Dark asphalt, concrete, light paving, artificial grass, sand, natural grass or a mixed route
- Sun exposure
- Full sun, mixed sun & shade, or mostly shaded
- Location
- Your current location or any city, for live weather and air quality
How the estimate works
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1
We read local weather
Air temperature, wind, humidity, cloud cover, direct & diffuse solar radiation, soil temperature and air quality for your exact coordinates - now plus the previous two days.
-
2
We model the surface over time
A transient heat-balance model tracks your chosen surface hour by hour. So it captures the lag (pavement keeps heating after noon), holds heat into the evening, carries warmth over from previous hot days - in a heatwave the ground starts the morning already warm - and cools by evaporation while it’s wet after rain. Dark asphalt in sun can run 20–30°C above the air.
-
3
You get a verdict and safe windows
We combine that with your dog’s profile and planned walk into one verdict, a recommended duration, and the hours today that are safe for your dog’s paws.
The forecast estimates.
Your hand confirms.
Press the back of your hand firmly on the pavement for 7 seconds. If you can’t hold it there comfortably, it’s too hot for paw pads - switch to grass, find shade, or wait.
Surface matters too: metal grates, manhole covers and dark asphalt heat up fastest, while shaded grass stays close to comfortable. More in the Safety Guide →
Paw Safety Check was built after repeatedly finding that ordinary weather apps show the air temperature, but never whether the ground itself is safe for a dog. The estimate uses a transparent energy-balance model - it’s a screening tool, not a substitute for the hand test or a vet.
About the maker & sources
Made by a dog lover who wanted a quick, honest answer before every walk. The model accounts for solar absorption of dark asphalt (~88%), longwave sky radiation, convective wind cooling and ground conduction from soil-temperature data.
Always do the 7-second hand test before walking - real surfaces vary with material, colour, shade and sun exposure.
I’d love a professional review of the dog-specific safety thresholds so they can be properly credited and improved. If you’re a vet and happy to help, please get in touch - it would make this tool meaningfully better for every dog.
Is it too hot to walk your dog?
Most dog owners check the air temperature - but your dog walks on the ground, not the air. When it is 25 °C (77 °F) outside in direct sun, dark asphalt can climb past 50 °C (122 °F), and at 30 °C (86 °F) air, pavement has been measured at 57 °C (135 °F) or higher. Paw pads can blister in under a minute on a surface that hot. That gap between air and surface temperature is exactly what this free dog paw safety checker estimates, so you can answer “can I walk my dog today?” before you head out the door.
What temperature is safe for dog paws?
As a quick guide to safe walking temperatures: pavement under 30 °C (86 °F) is generally safe, 30–38 °C (86–100 °F) calls for caution - prefer grass and shade and keep walks short - and anything above 48 °C (118 °F) is extreme danger, when dogs should stay off hard surfaces entirely. In winter, watch for ice, de-icing salt and frostbite risk once wind-chill drops below 0 °C (32 °F).
When is the best time to walk a dog in hot weather?
Early morning before 10 am is safest because surfaces cool overnight, and evening after 6 pm is a good second option - but dark asphalt holds heat, so always do the hand test first. Midday (11 am–3 pm) is the most dangerous window on hot days. The checker above shows your safe walking windows hour-by-hour for today and the week ahead.
How the pavement temperature estimate works
Paw Safety Check uses a transparent energy-balance model that accounts for air temperature, wind, humidity, cloud cover and both direct and diffuse solar radiation, plus ground heat conduction from soil-temperature data. Dark asphalt absorbs roughly 88% of incoming sunlight, which is why it runs so much hotter than the air. It is a screening tool - the 7-second hand test is always the final word. Read the full dog paw safety guide for heatstroke signs, paw-burn first aid and winter hazards.
How hot is too hot to walk your dog on pavement?
If the air is above 25 °C (77 °F) in direct sun, pavement can exceed 50 °C (122 °F). Always confirm with the 7-second hand test: if you cannot hold the back of your hand on the surface for 7 seconds, it is too hot for your dog.
What is the 7-second rule for dog paws?
Press the back of your hand firmly on the pavement for 7 seconds. If you cannot keep it there comfortably, the surface is too hot for paw pads - walk on grass, find shade, or wait until it cools down.
What are the signs of burned dog paws?
Limping, refusing to walk, whining, licking or chewing paws, and visible redness, swelling or blistering on the pads. Move to a cool surface and rinse with cool water. See our paw-burn first-aid guide.
When is the best time to walk a dog in summer?
Early morning before 10 am is safest because surfaces cool overnight. Evening after 6 pm is also good, but dark asphalt holds heat into the evening - always do the hand test. Midday (11 am–3 pm) is the most dangerous time on hot days.
Does grass protect dog paws from heat?
Yes - grass stays much cooler than pavement thanks to moisture and shade. Shaded grass is almost always safe even on hot days. Whenever possible, choose grass or dirt trails over asphalt or concrete. Full safety guide →
Does it account for my dog’s breed and size?
Yes. Add a free dog profile - size, age, coat, flat-faced breed, overweight status and any health concerns - and the verdict and recommended walk duration adjust to your dog. Flat-faced, overweight, very young, elderly and thick-coated dogs are flagged as higher heat risk. It’s stored only in your browser, no account needed.
How long can I safely walk my dog right now?
The checker gives a recommended maximum walk duration for current conditions, tailored to your dog. Because the same weather can suit a short shaded walk but not a long run, it also factors in your planned activity and whether your route is in sun or shade.